Source: CBSnews.comBy Joel SartoreIt's the 1880s, and my fellow Nebraskan has made a big decision: to spend real money to have his picture taken with his two prized possessions: a 10-gauge shotgun, and the whooping crane he's just killed with it. By 1900, this tallest of North American birds was driven to near-extinction by trophy and meat hunters. And it was not alone. Laws to protect wildlife were scarce, too. So our forbearers pretty much shot and trapped out all they could, everywhere they could, every time they could. The pioneers, like many of us, were greedy.Human nature hasn't changed much since then, but fortunately we now have laws in place to throttle us back. Few are better than the Endangered Species Act.

Forty years ago yesterday -- December 28, 1973 -- Richard Nixon signed the bill, which at the time made us the only nation on Earth to declare a basic right of existence for species other than our own. Without government regulation, unbridled hunting, pollution and development was going to doom much of America's bounty, and lawmakers knew it. So the goal of the Endangered Species Act was kept simple: to keep species from going extinct, no matter the cost. And by and large it's worked. Among the closest of calls were the California condor, the black-footed ferret, and, yes, the whooping crane. Incredibly, all got down to fewer than 25 individuals, yet were pulled back from the very brink of extinction thanks to federal protection.

Some animals have done so well they've actually been taken off the Endangered Species List. The peregrine falcon, bald eagle and American alligator were all in real trouble back when the law was passed in 1973. Now they're commonplace. More....

Source: Livingstondaily.comOn Saturday, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.This important law enacted some of the first comprehensive guidelines to protect animals from extinction, in an effort to protect the rich heritage found in creatures that roam our planet and the ecosystems they depend on to live. We know the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been successful because of the species that have been delisted from protection, including the Columbian white-tailed deer, California condor, bull trout, gray whale and so many others.This nation has a long and proud tradition of respect for our wildlife and natural resources. The strength and vitality of our environment, and thus our own health and well-being, is inextricably linked to the health and well-being of other species.I was proud to be a lead author of this important legislation. Without it, there might not be a single bald eagle or peregrine falcon in our skies. No manatees or cutthroat trout in our waters and no gray wolves or grizzly bears in our forests. This monumental legislation has, quite literally, saved our natural heritage during its 40 years. The ESA has served as the foundation for the protection of thousands of America’s most cherished and ecologically important species.Our country was the first to say that only natural extinction is part of natural order; extinction caused by human neglect and interference is not. Science is at the core of the ESA, and should remain so. Congress determined at that time that when dealing with matters as important as our national environmental policy, nonpartisan action is what we should strive for.Sadly, partisan bickering and political agendas threaten to return us to the times when we were destroying our great natural treasures. I am saddened to report that this cornerstone environmental law is in greater peril now than it has been in its 40-year history. From efforts to defund the agencies that oversee its implementation, to the forces that work to find and exploit loopholes in the law to put industry profits ahead of our planet, defending the ESA will require a diligence the likes of which we have not witnessed before. But we must fight against these challenges, and know these challenges threaten to roll back years of progress. More....

*This broadcast was given for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio 1, Science Unit as an Ockham's Razor talk. The text in its entirety is below.I dedicate this broadcast to my late friend Dr Robert "Bobby" F. Steinberg - he loved the dolphins and our oceans, and unstintingly believed in my mission: Rest in Peace Dear Bobby! There's a crisis of epic proportion occurring on our planet 24/7, 365: 'The War Against Nature' has become a prolonged looting spree -- plundering terrestrial and oceanic wildlife on a global tear never witnessed before. The fact that the Mafia, Syndicate, Cartel and Triad's are involved heavily in shark fining, slaughtering bluefin tuna, massacring rhinos, elephants and tigers -- as the demand for rhino horns, elephant ivory, fur and animals parts skyrockets -- means these incredible beasts and others have no chance whatsoever to continue to live on planet Earth.What kind of a world are we leaving for our children? The destruction of nature including illegal harvesting of forests for an unquenchable palm oil market and trafficking of animal parts is valued in excess of $300 billion, annually; it now rivals that of drugs, arms and human trafficking, combined. No wonder organized crime is running this lucrative life-ending business.And even more infuriatingly Japan, Iceland and Norway continue to hunt whales despite a 1986 worldwide moratorium. Japan harpoons whales in the Great Southern Ocean within an international sanctuary where populations of great whales are no more than three percent of what they were a mere 200 years ago. Japan claims to hunts whales under the auspice of scientific research, which is simply not true.Japan's 'scientific whale research' is overtly flawed. If, in fact, they were testing a hypothesis then their factory boat the Nisshin Maru's reaction to harassment by the Sea Shepherd ships during the 2012-13 whaling season would have ended the research sampling for that season. Instead, the Nisshin Maru fled, followed by one of its catcher boats, to the other side of the Antarctic continent, thousands of kilometers from its designated research area where it resumed killing minke whales. A real research program is based upon systematic, pre-planned sampling in a designated area within a designated time frame. Japan's 'lethal research' of whales in the Antarctic has nothing to do with 'scientific research.' Poaching has reached a frenzied level elsewhere. The pictures of magnificent rhinos dehorned while still alive in Kruger National Park, South Africa, are enough to make a grown man cry. These atrocities are crimes against humanity. More....

Source: Earthisland.orgBy Kimberley DelfinoCalifornia is a great example for how to protect threatened species. Forty years ago tomorrow — on December 28, 1973 — President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act (ESA) into law. This landmark legislation has defined America’s commitment to wildlife conservation ever since. The ESA and other bedrock environmental laws such as the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts affirm for all Americans that we are a nation dedicated to conserving our natural heritage for future generations — through our national parks and refuges, through clean air and water, and by protecting our wildlife.In the four decades since the ESA’s passage, more than 1,200 plants and animals in the United States have put been under the law’s protection. The act has been essential to a range of conservation success stories. The brown pelican, the American alligator, and the grizzly bear — along with our national symbol, the bald eagle — have all experienced amazing comebacks thanks to the ESA. My home state, California, offers an inspiring example of the ESA in action. The Golden State may be the most populous in the nation — a place more often associated with freeways and traffic jams than with wildlife roaming the forests and deserts — but California is also the location of some of the ESA’s greatest successes. Some of the species that have been protected by the ESA call California home, including the El Segundo blue butterfly and the southern sea otter which are found only in California’s Central Coast and Southern regions, while the humpback whale, green sea turtle, peregrine falcon and bald eagle have ranges across California and its coastline. Such success stories prove that we can protect imperiled species and improve California’s economy and infrastructure at the same time. And they also demonstrate that when we work together to protect our nation’s wildlife and public lands, we reap numerous benefits — tangible and intangible — in the process. People travel from all across the United States and from around the world to visit California’s majestic parks and wildlife refuges — Yosemite, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge. Our state’s iconic plants and animals are legendary — towering redwoods, spawning salmon, California condors and desert tortoises.

In California, we’ve proven that we can safeguard endangered plants and animals while simultaneously offering benefits to landowners. More....

Source: Tahoedailytribune.comBy Liz KellarOne of the two men charged on the basis of DNA evidence in a bear poaching case pleaded guilty Thursday to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jason Scott Wilkison, 43, of Grass Valley, took a plea agreement in return for a stipulated sentence of two years in state prison. Wilkison and his co-defendant, Christopher Art Nunley, 54, of North San Juan, had been charged with misdemeanor counts of unlawful possession of a bear and unlawfully killing a bear, as well as felony charges involving the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Nunley is considering a plea offer and will be back in court Jan. 16. The female bear reportedly was killed in April at a residence located near Grizzly Flat. The two men reportedly tried to butcher the bear and skin it and then tried to get rid of it. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office assisted California Fish and Wildlife wardens in serving a series of search warrants that led to the discovery of bear remains, allegedly found in a shallow grave near Wilkison’s residence. Additional bear hair allegedly was located at Nunley’s residence. To build the bear-poaching case, wildlife officers executed six separate search warrants during their nearly half-year investigation. The bear’s DNA indicated it was a female black bear, said warden Jerry Karnow. Karnow launched the investigation after receiving reports that the bear had been unlawfully shot after being lured with bait. “A lot of our cases are made from statements without any evidence, and we spend hours and days corroborating that,” Karnow said. Karnow was led to two supposed kill sites, and found bear hair and bear blood at one of the locations in a “very remote area,” he said. “I was able to make a poaching case based on that,” Karnow said. “I never did recover the body or the skull. Through DNA, we positively identified the blood and hair as coming from a bear.” Karnow noted the state’s DNA lab frequently receives requests from other states and had a lengthy backlog; he said he was able to have his results expedited, however. Wilkison is set to return to Nevada County Superior Court to be sentenced on Jan. 17.

Source: Centralvalleybusinesstimes.comSalmon advocates say they know how to restore sustainable salmon runs in the Central Valley – 26 different ways. The Golden Gate Salmon Association says two years of study have resulted in a 26-project salmon rebuilding plan to reverse the steep decline of California’s four salmon runs, including two considered endangered and threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act -- the winter and spring runs. The fall and late fall-runs, which support the sport and commercial fishery, declined by 90 percent and 87 percent respectively from 2001 to 2011, the association says. “The salmon problems are not in the ocean but rather in the freshwater rivers where salmon reproduce and then try to migrate downstream through the many hurdles that exist on their journey to ocean waters,” says GGSA Chairman Roger Thomas. The 26 projects are divided into three tiers to prioritize completion. In April the first eight high priority projects were selected with most underway or in the pipeline for 2014. The second tier is currently being considered by federal agencies for implementation. The rebuilding plan can be broadly broken into two categories of projects, says the association. The first calls for better flows for salmon in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The second are projects aimed at healing manmade structural impediments built in and along the rivers. The loss of many baby salmon at the pumping facilities that divert water from the Delta for export south is another problem the GGSA says its plans address. “Between 2000 and 2012 over 100 million fish were pulled into the South Delta pumps killing most of them,” says GGSA Secretary Dick Pool. “We believe this is the highest destruction of fish in North America. A major part of these losses are valuable salmon, striped bass and other game fish. GGSA has a plan to reduce these losses.”

Source: MtShastanews.comThe Karuk Tribe and Klamath Riverkeeper announced Monday that they have reached a settlement with Montague Water Conservation District that will dismiss litigation they filed in August 2012. The suit, filed in the US District Court in Sacramento, alleged that MWCD’s dams and diversions on the Shasta River lead to the illegal killing of endangered coho salmon populations in the Shasta River. The complaint alleges MWCD is violating the federal Endangered Species Act by killing ESA listed coho salmon without a take permit. The agreement focuses on a new management strategy for Dwinnell Reservoir as opposed to cutting flows to irrigators so MWCD should not see a big difference in the volumes of water it diverts, according to a press release from Craig Tucker, Klamath Coordinator of the Karuk Tribe. “We worked hard to find a solution that would start the fisheries restoration process but keep our neighbors in agriculture whole,” said Karuk Chairman Buster Attebery in the release.Historically, MWCD has diverted approximately 22,000 acre feet of water a year on average. The agreement allows MWCD to divert 20,500 acre feet of water for irrigation although in dry years they may get less and in wet years they will get more, according to the release. Water models predict that average diversion over time will be nearly the same as historic average diversions. The Shasta River is considered by many fisheries biologists to be one of the most important spawning and rearing habitats in the entire Klamath Basin. “Since Dwinnell Dam was built in 1926, nearly the entire river has been diverted leaving salmon high and dry. This has been a key factor in the decline of ESA listed coho salmon,” explains Karuk DNR Director Leaf Hillman. The settlement will result in 2,250 to 11,000 acre feet of water being released from Dwinnell Dam for fisheries benefits each year with the exact volume for any given year dependent on how wet the preceding winter was. Currently, fish only receive a few hundred acre feet of water a year in the Shasta River from Dwinnell if any at all, according to the press release. “This is a big increase in flows for fish and we expect the fisheries benefits will be seen immediately,” said Toz Soto, Karuk Senior Fisheries Biologist. More....

Source: Ecowatch.comThe documentary Blackfish has left a desperate SeaWorld in its wake, struggling to stay afloat in a sea of bad press and criticism from the public. As performer after performer (eight in total, so far) cancels their scheduled show for SeaWorld’s upcoming “Bands, Brews & BBQ” concert series due to concerns raised by the film, SeaWorld has fought back with a list of responses that they have called an open letter from SeaWorld’s “animal advocates.” While their representatives have declined to share how much money was spent putting this response out there, it is almost certain that SeaWorld spent thousands of dollars getting the letter published in eight major U.S. newspapers. If you have read the letter, you might be finding it hard to separate fact from fiction as it is filled with SeaWorld’s spin on the captive marine mammal industry. Sea Shepherd would like to present a few counterpoints to SeaWorld’s arguments that will hopefully clear up any confusion.“SeaWorld does not capture killer whales in the wild. Due to the groundbreaking success of our research in marine mammal reproduction, we haven’t collected a killer whale from the wild in 35 years.” While SeaWorld admits that they have two orcas in their “care” who were captured in the wild, they leave out the violent and traumatic captures that these orcas endured. Footage of a notoriously brutal orca capture in Penn Cove, a capture which tore apart a family of orcas and left some dead, can be seen in Blackfish. Those responsible for the capture even sank the bodies of the dead whales in an effort to hide their deaths. Tilikum’s capture took place off the coast of Iceland in 1983, when he was only two years old. He was sent to SeaLand of the Pacific, before enduring a stressful transport once again to his current prison, SeaWorld Orlando. Many of SeaWorld’s orcas were, indeed, born in captivity. Many of them are the offspring of Tilikum, who is used as SeaWorld’s breeding machine. SeaWorld’s marine mammals are often inbred, offspring of two mated members of the same family, resulting in a range of genetic abnormalities and mutations. That is the truth of SeaWorld’s “groundbreaking success” in marine mammal reproduction.The letter also conveniently leaves out the fact that SeaWorld plans to take some of the 18 wild-caught beluga whales that the Georgia Aquarium is currently fighting so hard to get their hands on. More....

Source: Statesman.comBy Alex DropkinEvery morning, Sophia eats a handful of grapes and perks up. She stretches her legs and, on good days, takes a lap or two around the artificial forest in her enclosure.Sophia is a two-toed sloth, and the grapes — met with a wet, black nose and long tongue — amount to dessert. Her staples are sweet potatoes, vegetables and monkey chow.The two-toed sloth is endemic to Central and South America. Sophia has lived at Zoo Keeper Exotic Pets in North Austin for 12 years, since being rescued from an owner who had lost interest in her. Sophia has become both a public attraction and an educational tool of sorts, serving as a reminder of the consequences of Texas’ lax — some say absent — regulation of the exotic pet trade.Texas is one of 21 states with no restrictions on private ownership of exotic animals, according to Born Free USA, a national animal advocacy group. The Texas Department of State Health Services oversees statutes on the definition and handling of dangerous animals, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department manages nonnative species in relation to their impact on native plants and animals, but the onus of regulation is left to cities and counties.“That just shows that in Texas, it’s considered not important enough for it to even be handled by the state,” said Lynn Cuny, founder and president of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in Kendalia, “and that’s a real tragedy.”Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation receives a dozen or more calls a year to rescue primates, parrots, nonnative reptiles and larger animals from overwhelmed owners. Texas is home to more exotic animals than any other state, according to the Humane Society.“People love the whole idea of having (an animal) in their midst who is novel, who is very unique and who is going to make them look like they’re special,” Cuny said. “It’s a very kind of sick relationship.”Sophia is a star inside the Zoo Keeper store, at the corner of Burnet Road and U.S. 183. It sells exotic birds, snakes, turtles, insects, mammals and other unusual critters. Owner Daniel Keeper said he gets at least one customer asking to buy the sloth every day. But Sophia isn’t for sale. More....

Source: Sacbee.comBy Richard Chang A family fishing team has been arrested on suspicion of illegally selling sport-caught fish, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Saturday.Wildlife officers arrested Luan Van Dao, 51, and his wife, Mung Thi Bui, 49. Their son, Tuan Anh Dao, 29, was also taken into custody. The three Sacramento residents face charges of felony conspiracy and illegal sale of sport-caught fish.In mid-November, the three allegedly fished in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and stashed the poached fish in a hidden compartment, according to CDFW. Investigators believe that the family sold the fish regularly to an established network of buyers. “These poachers are taking away from the legal and legitimate anglers,” said CDFW Law Enforcement Division Cpt. Rudy Arruda in a news release.The three were previously arrested in 2006 for the same offenses.

Source: Examiner.comBy Ira FisherFor many cities and towns across our country the circus is a tradition of the holiday season. Revelations about behind the scenes practices of the circus raises serious questions about an event that many Americans regard as a holiday tradition. For the most part, the circus is a wonderful event. The clowns, acrobats, trapeze artists and other talented performers provide terrific entertainment. There is, however, a dark side to traditional circuses that the industry keeps far from the glare of the bright lights of the big top. The “tricks” that wild animals are forced to perform is contrary to their nature and the training methods that utilize violence, fear, and intimidation inflict great pain, suffering, injury and sometimes death. One of the featured events of many circuses is a tiger jumping through a ring of fire. This makes one wonder, why would a tiger, that is terrified of fire, do this death-defying trick? A similar question is raised with respect to an elephant performing a headstand, which is stressful, painful and dangerous. The answer lies in the fact that these animals have learned a fear greater than that of the acts they are forced to perform. The circus industry would have the public believe that abuse is not used to train the wild animals that entertain their audiences. However, the tools of the trade used by trainers belie this claim. In the case of big cats, these tools typically include whips, tight collars and chains or wire tie-downs. In the case of elephants, they include bullhooks (A heavy metal poker with a sharp point-and-hook at one end. The point is for pushing; the hook, inserted in the mouth or at the top of the ear, is for pulling. Both are sharp enough to pierce elephant hide.), electro-shocking devices and whips that cause these highly social, emotionally sensitive and intelligent beings severe pain and instill great fear. Joyce Poole PhD, a world-renowned expert in elephant behavior, reviewed undercover footage showing the treatment of elephants by circus employees. Dr. Poole observed: “The footage shows gratuitous violence against them – hitting, poking, jabbing, hooking elephants on the head, ears, trunk and limbs with bullhooks … striking of elephants with bullhooks, whips and other objects keeps them in a constant state of fear and stress so that they will obey and perform on command…”. Much of the brutal treatment is inflicted upon baby elephants and is designed to break their spirit at a time when they should still be with their mothers. This abuse cries out for an answer to the question: Does the use of wild animals as performers in circuses send a wrong message to children that cruelty to animals is acceptable? Human decency suggests that children, instead, be taught to extend their circle of compassion to include these remarkable beings and to appreciate their true nature. More....

Source: NYpost.comBy Susannah CahalanRonald B. Tobias discovered the story of Topsy the circus elephant while working as a producer for the Discovery Channel — and has been haunted by the sad tale since.Topsy was marquee attraction to Coney Island’s Luna Park at the turn of the century. But her star power turned into notoriety in 1903, when, after being jabbed with a pitchfork, Topsy lashed out at her trainers. Topsy was sentenced to death by electrocution. As 1,500 people watched, Topsy’s body was hit with a current of over 6,600 volts. She died almost instantly. Thomas Edison filmed the event, titling it “Electrocuting an Elephant” (Google it, but be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart). Tobias knew he wanted to cover this story, so he pitched it to Discovery. “They told me it was too depressing,” Tobias tells The Post. “But the story stayed with me for years,” he says. “And the more I looked into the history, the crazier it got and the more I believed there was a bigger story there.” That bigger story became “Behemoth: The History of Elephants in America,” Tobias’ first book, which follows the role of elephants in American society beginning with the first elephant to land on American soil in 1796. Tobias found that elephants “always find themselves in the middle of every social controversy that was going on in this country.” The Political Beast By the 19th century, elephants had earned their own catchphrase: to “see the elephants” was to have seen something incredible or memorable, something not to be missed. By the start of the Civil War, newspapers published political cartoons depicting the Union as an elephant, showing the rise of popularity of the enormous animals. In one cartoon titled “Jeff. Sees the Elephant,” an elephant, dressed in a topcoat and shoes, brandishing the Constitution and a sword represents the Union; while a donkey in dandy clothes donning a dapper monocle, representative of the Confederacy, stares apprehensively on. The political symbols stuck. Editorial writers from the North began to boast of the South’s fear of “seeing the elephant,” believing that their threats of secession were bluster. Once the Confederates felt the elephant’s “kick, would go home perfectly satisfied.” Once the war began in earnest, southern solders began to complain of having “seen the elephant” on the battlefield — which had become a very bad omen. More....

Source: Qz.comBy Gwynn GuilfordOne of the world’s flashiest luxury items isn’t made of gold or sold by Hermès. It adorns the snouts of rhinoceroses. That explains why poachers killed 946 of them in South Africa so far in 2013, 42% more than in 2012. That’s grim news given that something like 85% of the planet’s rhinos live in South Africa. At this rate, the animals will be extinct by 2032, say researchers. Though the country has stepped up poaching arrests this year, its authorities clearly can’t keep up. What’s behind all the bloodshed? As we’ve covered in the past, pulverized rhino horn is coveted in Vietnam as both a designer party drug and a cancer cure. That’s driven the price of a rhino horn to between $45,000 and $60,000 per kilogram ($21,000-27,000 per pound). But in recent years, Chinese demand for rhino horn has picked up more than most realize, as Tom Milliken, an expert in illegal wildlife trafficking, told China Dialogue. He says demand from southern Chinese provinces, such as Guangdong and Guangxi, is particularly strong. “Their culture might be similar to what we have seen in Vietnam, where rhino horn is not often used as medicine but rather a product that provides status for its owners,” says Milliken. “This is what’s driving the trade in Vietnam, and may be part of what’s driving the new trade in China.” He points to an 80% increase in rhino horn seizures in China in the last few years. While this shows that Chinese authorities are cracking down, it also offers a clue about the magnitude of China’s rising demand. (Interpol estimates that authorities confiscate only about 10% of illicit contraband, reports China Dialogue.) And though seizures of cargo containers have picked up, so too has a trend in Chinese tourists purchasing rhino horns in Vietnam, something Milliken has tracked. That squares with a recent investigative report by conservationist Karl Ammann, who witnessed Chinese tourists snapping up rhino horn prayer bead bracelets in a village outside of Hanoi for about $15,000 a pop. It also explains an uptick in activity elsewhere in the world. Those yields are promising enough to drive an elaborate global trade in rhino contraband. For example, Texas has emerged as the US’s rhino horn smuggling epicenter due to its taxidermy auction business, reports the Dallas Morning News. Last month, US authorities convicted a smuggler associated with the Rathkeale Rovers, an Irish organized crime outfit that’s been behind a spate of rhino head heists in museums throughout Europe. From Texas, horns typically go to New York or California, where they’re sold on to buyers in Asia. Graphs.

Source: Coons.senate.govPress ReleaseA group of bipartisan leaders from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee have sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, and Attorney General Eric Holder urging the full use of available government resources to comprehensively combat wildlife trafficking. The letter was signed by Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs Chairman Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs Chairman Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Chairman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio). “We are writing to ensure that the National Strategy the Task Force produces is bold, goal-oriented and implemented through a whole-of-government approach,” the members wrote. “We believe for the National Strategy to be effective it must include elements to dismantle illicit transnational networks, incorporate security and intelligence resources, and ensure local security forces have the capacity to combat poaching.” Secretaries Kerry and Jewell, and Attorney General Holder are co-chairs of the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, established by President Obama in July to develop a national strategy for addressing the growing problem of illicit wildlife trafficking. The task force, along with an Advisory Council made up of non-governmental experts, is working to enhance coordination among existing U.S. programs and policies to combat wildlife trafficking, and assist other nations to do the same. The national strategy is expected to be released in early 2014. Driven primarily by consumer demand in Asia, poaching of elephants, rhinos, and other wildlife across the globe has reached unprecedented levels in recent years. The crisis is particularly acute in Central Africa, where heavily armed poachers have decimated elephant populations, and in South Africa, which houses the continent’s largest proportion of rhinos. Profits from the multi-billion dollar wildlife trade are frequently funneled to transnational crime syndicates, whose activities threaten to disrupt the rule of law in developing countries across the globe. To combat these illicit networks, the members emphasized that U.S strategy must “identify steps to build capacity of law enforcement systems in key countries, including the training and equipping of government eco-guards and rangers, and use of technological innovations.” “To ensure effectiveness,” the members wrote, “programs must include methods to aggressively deal with the pervasive corruption that prevents effective wildlife law enforcement in many countries. Another portion of the strategy should focus on building prosecutorial, judicial and investigative capacity to prosecute wildlife crime cases more effectively.” The text of the letter....can be downloaded as a PDF here: http://1.usa.gov/1bdssQZ

Source: Biologicaldiversity.orgPress ReleaseApproximately 1 million Americans stated their opposition to the Obama administration’s proposal to strip endangered species protections from gray wolves in a public comment period that closed today. This is the largest number of comments ever submitted on a federal decision involving endangered species and reflects broad dissatisfaction with the Obama administration’s politically driven move to turn wolf management over to states across most of the lower 48. “Americans overwhelmingly oppose removing protections for wolves, and for good reason. Wolves have recovered to just a fraction of their range and are severely threatened by state-sanctioned hunts intended to decimate them,” said Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “We hope the Obama administration will hear the pleas of hundreds of thousands of citizens and maintain these critically needed protections for wolves.” The 750,000-plus comments, being delivered today to the Fish and Wildlife Service by multiple conservation groups, will bring the total number to well over 1 million. There were once up to 2 million gray wolves living in North America, but the animals had been driven to near-extinction in the lower 48 states by the early 1900s. After passage of the federal Endangered Species Act in 1973 and protection of the wolf as endangered, federal recovery programs resulted in the rebound of wolf populations in limited parts of the country. Roughly 5,500 wolves now live in the continental United States — a fraction of the species’ historic numbers. “The North American gray wolf’s recovery in certain areas of the United States is something to celebrate, but an abundance of evidence shows the work is not yet complete,” said International Fund for Animal Welfare president and CEO Azzedine Downes. “I applaud actions to help protect this critical species, and I strongly urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service not to go through with this proposal.” The Obama administration’s proposal would remove existing protections for wolves everywhere except Arizona and New Mexico, where the Mexican wolf is struggling to survive with an estimated population of just 75 wolves. This proposal would abandon protections for wolves in places where wolf recovery is just in its infancy, such as Oregon and Washington, and would prevent wolves from recovering in other places where good wolf habitat has been identified, including northern California, the southern Rocky Mountains and the Northeast. “Oregon wolves have taken the first tentative steps toward recovery in the last few years,” said Sean Stevens, executive director of Oregon Wild. “If the Obama administration takes away the strong protections of the Endangered Species Act, we pull the rug out from the fragile success story here on the West Coast and leave the fate of wolves in the hands of state agencies in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming who have proven incapable of balanced management.” “The restoration of the gray wolf could be one of the great American wildlife conservation success stories if Secretary Jewell would just finish the job,” said Leda Huta, executive director of the Endangered Species Coalition. More....

Source: Independent.co.ukBy Helena Williams Elephants are incredibly intelligent creatures. Perhaps that's why they've been a feature in travelling circuses for centuries. However, abuse of performing elephants has been well documented in that time.1. The Romans used elephants in spectacle…The Romans mainly used elephants for public show in processions, circuses and as objects of torment. The first records of elephants fighting each other as a form of circus entertainment date back to 99 B.C, when both animal and gladiator fights were popular in Rome. In 55 B.C. Roman military leader Pompey pitted elephants against men with javelins at a bloodthirsty spectacle, known as the Games. The Romans also used to parade elephants in shows of victory and as demonstrations of wealth and power.2. …But elephant cruelty did not stop thereIn the 19th century showman P.T. Barnum, who later formed American circus Barnum and Bailey, sent assistants to Sri Lanka to catch elephants for his travelling menagerie. Written accounts from the 1850s describe how wild elephants had nooses tied around their ankles and were hoisted on to a ship for a 12,000 mile journey to New York. In his autobiography, Barnum wrote that his posse “killed large numbers of the huge beasts” on the expedition.3. Allegations of elephant abuse have led to bitter legal battlesIn 2000, several animal rights groups including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), accused Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey of abusing their elephants with hooks and chains. The case fell apart when lawyers found that a key witness, a former employee of the circus, had received over $190,000 from ASPCA and other litigants. The court ruled in favour of Ringing Bros. in 2009 and ASPCA agreed to pay the circus’ parent company $9.3 million.However, a 2011 investigation by Mother Jones alleged further incidents of elephant abuse by Ringling Bros., describing how the animals spent most of their lives chained, in cramped conditions and at risk of being beaten.4. Los Angeles is banning bullhooksIn October this year Los Angeles City Council voted to ban the use of bullhooks by circus workers. The sharp-tipped tool is used to train elephants, but critics say it inflicts pain. Other items used on elephants, including baseball bats, axe handles and pitchforks, will also be banned.Circuses in the area now have three years to either change how they train elephants, or remove them from shows completely. More....

Source: Huffingtonpost.co.ukBy Neil D’CruzeThe global trade in elephant ivory requires our focused attention if the world's largest land mammal is to survive past the next 12 years. But African elephants (and let's not forget their Asian counterparts) are not only under threat due to rising demand for their tusks. 2012 has been widely acknowledged as the worst year for African elephants since the 1989 international trade ban for ivory came into force. It is estimated that, during this 12 month period, around 36,000 elephants were illegally slaughtered for their ivory in Africa alone. The scale of elephant poaching has now reached such levels that it is once again endangering wild populations. Although no one knows exactly how many are left, some experts believe that there could be as few as 250,000 of these amazing creatures left remaining in Africa. And it is not just African elephants that are at current risk of extinction as a result of consumer demand for their ivory. Increasingly, their smaller Asian relatives are also being targeted by poachers and have experienced significant population declines in recent decades. Geographic location aside, although a major concern deserving of international action, it is important we recognize that the illegal ivory trade alone is not solely responsible for dwindling wild elephant numbers. Current human demand also extends to elephant meat. This is not just a local subsistence issue. Elephant meat bound for Fresno California was seized by Thai enforcement officials in May 2103 and is just one example of the international demand for this 'exotic flavour'. Elephants are also the unwanted object of many a trophy hunters' affections. As a result, each year they are stalked and killed (both legally and illegally) so that an obligatory photo opportunity can ensue, before their heads are stuffed and mounted on the wall. Juvenile elephants are removed from the wild for use as 'working' animals. These unfortunate individuals may well end up assisting their owners by hauling lumber. Alternatively, they may be sent to 'elephant camps' providing tourists with an up close and personal interaction.But not all elephants are stolen from the wild in order to generate a profit. If a large, powerful animal becomes attracted to human food sources, destruction of property often follows. This, combined with occasional attacks on humans, creates fear and hostility that rarely ends well for these 'nuisance' animals. More....

Source: News.nationalgeographic.comBy Christine Dell'AmoreM. Sanjayan remembers debating grad school biology classmates about the fate of the California condor back in the 1990s, when the bird was on the brink of extinction.Should the condor, which had almost been wiped out by habitat loss, hunting, and eating carcasses that were poisoned by lead bullets, be left to die in the wild? Or should scientists take the remaining 22 condors into captivity and breed them, which would cost millions of dollars? Sanjayan's view was that humans had a moral responsibility to save North America's largest flying bird. That's exactly what happened: Captive-born condors were reintroduced into the western United States in the early 1990s. There are now more than 200 in California, Arizona, and northern Mexico. On a recent trip to the Grand Canyon, Sanjayan—now the lead scientist at the Nature Conservancy—looked up and spied one of the big black birds soaring above. "That's pretty incredible if you think about it," he says. "They're really out there in the wild now." (See "Banning Lead Ammunition Could Give Condors a Chance.") The condor's recovery shows that endangered species can be brought back from the extreme brink. And there are plenty of other examples.Gray wolves, which by the 1970s were wiped out of most of their North American range due to hunting, have bounced back to more than 3,500, thanks largely to reintroduction efforts. Northern elephant seals, hunted down to fewer than a hundred individuals, now number 150,000 along the West Coast. But with dozens of new species going extinct every day—scientists say that more than 20,000 plants and animals are on the brink of disappearing forever—deciding which species to save is a tricky question. This week, National Geographic will spotlight some of the world's most innovative and unusual efforts to save disappearing species, from the mountains of Tanzania to the plains of Missouri, in a series called "Last of the Last." More....

Source: Westcoast.fisheries.noaa.govWinter 2013/2014Spear fishing, prohibited nets, and illegal barbed and weighted hooks have unfortunately become familiar fishing practices in recent years on the Garcia River, a coastal watershed in northern California. These methods are not only illegal, but also used to unlawfully catch federally protected salmon and steelhead. Poaching is the term used to describe such activities, but it doesn’t do justice to the severity of the problem. At stake are decades of conservation work and the future of the river’s endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead runs—including Central California Coast coho salmon, California Coastal Chinook salmon, and Northern California Coast steelhead. Over $25 million in government and private funding has been invested in the restoration of the watershed, and in the early 2000s the investment started to yield strong fish returns. As fish returns increased, so too did the impact of poaching. Fish returns have once again declined in the Garcia River watershed, even though numbers in adjacent watersheds have increased.Enforcing the regulations further compounds the problem. The Garcia River watershed includes several jurisdictional boundaries as it meanders through northern California. Two large swaths of land belong to the Manchester-Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians. The tribe, however, historically has not had the resources to identify and apprehend poachers. And though U.S. federal agents and California game wardens have the authority to investigate and enforce Endangered Species Act violations on tribal lands, state enforcement policies prevented state agents from entering tribal lands for enforcement actions, including poaching activities.Poaching is not limited to tribal lands, however. It is occurring throughout the watershed, including on private lands upstream. In March of 2012, while assisting the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department in a drug-related case, California Department of Fish and Wildlife wardens seized 18 wild steelhead and 56 ducks. With the help of NOAA law enforcement, led by Derek Roy, and fisheries biologist Joshua Fuller, the poacher was convicted. This became known as the Stornetta case and helped set the stage for improving coordination among federal, state, local, and tribal officials. The desire to address poaching more effectively culminated in a new, unprecedented anti-poaching accord. The agreement, which was recently announced by tribal Chairman Nelson Pinola and Congressman Jared Huffman, focuses on coordinating efforts among the different jurisdictions to ensure we’re combatting poaching on both tribal and private lands. Under the agreement, the tribe will establish its own fishing regulations for tribal members — consistent with state laws — and state game wardens will be able to pursue enforcement on tribal lands. Partners are also discussing a process for referring violations to the tribe for adjudication. In addition, the agreement includes an important educational component. Thanks to support from The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, and The Conservation Fund, fish identification materials will be distributed locally, and informational signage will be placed throughout the watershed to reinforce anti-poaching efforts.At the heart of the accord is an agreement to protect the listed fish that are so vital to this river and region. “We want folks to enjoy and appreciate this amazing resource,” said Joshua Fuller of NOAA Fisheries. “But we must be cognizant of the fact that the Garcia River’s salmon and steelhead runs have declined considerably and poaching severely threatens their recovery.” This groundbreaking, collaborative agreement will go a long way in preventing the unlawful harvest of the watershed’s protected fish. Dick Butler, Branch Supervisor at NOAA Fisheries, commended the tribe, stating, “By entering into this agreement they are making a positive societal change to the benefit of steelhead and salmon. The tribe is setting an example that we should all follow.”We encourage the public to report any suspicious activity to the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement by calling 1-800-853-1964.

Source: LakeTahoenews.netTwo Northern California men will spend time in jail and pay fines for poaching bears in El Dorado County. Peter George Vitali, 56, of Pioneer and Arthur Martin Blake, 59, of River Pines, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of illegally taking wildlife for profit. Vitali was fined $12,500 and Blake $5,000. Both must serve 30 days in jail, followed by 36 months on probation. Vitali and Blake were arrested by California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers in April 2013 after they were found to be in possession of 20 large bear claws and three bear gall bladders in the Eldorado National Forest. “This case is an example of the challenges our officers face,” CDFW Lt. Stacey LaFave said in a statement. “Heavy fines and jail time send a strong message to poachers who unlawfully take and profit from California’s natural resources.” Officials said the two men killed three bears, likely a sow and two cubs. The claws, liver and gall bladder had been removed from the sow and only the liver and gall bladder were removed from the younger two bears. The bile contained inside bear gall bladders is believed by some to have medicinal properties and is sold on the black market. California laws forbid the sale, purchase or possession for sale of any bear part.

Source: Irjci.blogspot.comBy Tim MandellAs wildlife pouplations increase and populated areas expand, causing conflicts, hunting is on its way to making a major comeback, with some areas already legalizing hunting within towns and cities, David Von Drehle writes in a cover story for Time magazine's latest edition.

"Faced with an outbreak of lyme disease and rising deer-related car accidents, the city council of Durham, N.C., authorized bow hunting inside city limits in November. Authorities in San Jose, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley, voted to allow hunting wild pigs within that city in October. Rock Island, Ill., . . . recently approved bow hunting in town, provided that it occurs in green spaces — golf courses, parks, cemeteries — or on private land."

"We have too many wild animals — from swine to swans," Von Drehle writes. "Whether you're a Walmart employee in Florida wondering what to do with the alligator at your door, a New Yorker with a hawk nesting on your high-rise or an Ohio golfer scattering a flock of Canada geese, you now live, work and play in closer proximity to untamed fauna than any other generation of Americans in more than a century."

"Too many deer, wild pigs, raccoons and beavers can be almost as bad for the animals as too few," Von Drehle writes. "This is why communities across the country find themselves forced to grapple with a conundrum. The same environmental sensitivity that brought Bambi back from the brink over the last century now makes it painfully controversial to do what experts say must be done: a bunch of these critters need to be killed." Time is subscription only, but can be accessed by clicking here.

By Deborah BailinNo bird is more iconic to Americans’ sense of national identity and pride than the bald eagle. This majestic creature was chosen by the Continental Congress in 1782 to symbolize the United States because of its strength and longevity. A bird that lives on the tops of mountains and swoops through boundless spaces, it appears on the Great Seal of the United States and represents the freedom the Founding Fathers saw at the heart of our democracy.

Yet less than 200 later, nesting pairs of bald eagles had dropped from the several hundred thousand thought to be alive during the Revolutionary Era to just 480 by the 1960s. Many factors played a role: illegal shooting, oil and lead poisoning, habitat destruction. But above all, indiscriminate use of the insecticide DDT after World War II dramatically reduced the bald eagle population and threatened this magnificent species that inspired our national emblem.Enacting protections While DDT did not kill living eagles, it interfered with their ability to reproduce. Many females became sterile, and many others that weren’t sterile laid eggs with shells too thin to support the weight of nesting adults. Although DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1972 and the birds were protected by several laws, including the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940, they would not be able to rebuild their population until DDT had been eliminated from their food chain. In 1973, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and by 1978, the bald eagle was listed as either threatened or endangered throughout its territory in the United States. Fortunately, although it’s been a long and difficult recovery, the bald eagle has made a comeback. In 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the species, and by 2012 nesting pairs were numbering around 14,000.Defining success It is important, however, not to define the success of the ESA only by those species, like the bald eagle, that have been delisted but also by the many, many other species that have made significant progress—and continue to progress—towards their recovery goals. A new report by the Endangered Species Coalition (ESC), of which UCS is a member, explains that success is a long-term and often challenging process but a process with many milestones worth celebrating along the way. More....

Source: Huffingtonpost.comBy Lydia O'ConnorSan Francisco may be the first major city to ban the release of commercially bred butterflies, a popular ceremonial practice at weddings that environmentalists say threatens the species. Local urban lepidopterist Liam O’Brien was one of the environmentalists that called upon San Francisco’s Commission on the Environment to vote the ban into place on Tuesday, though any decision the commission comes to will need to be approved by the Board of Supervisors before it can be written into law. “They are not creatures to be owned. They are not party favors for the human circus,” O’Brien told the San Francisco Examiner. “We all know the exultation of a butterfly release. But it’s really a hellacious relationship to nature.” The proposed resolution identifies a number of adverse effects butterfly releases have on efforts to maintain and the city’s butterfly biodiversity, including the disease and disadvantageous genes farmed butterflies could spread to the wild population if released. “Experts on butterfly conservation have also declared that releases may present problems through the transfer of disease from wild habitats, laboratories or industrial breeding facilities to other colonies, where die-off may result or diseases may weaken wild populations and make them more susceptible to other stressors,” the resolution reads. “Experts state that release of non-native and/or commercially raised butterflies can cause the introduction of deleterious genes into local populations, which could negatively influence the survivorship potential of native butterflies.” “Allowing the sale of butterflies creates a commercial market for butterflies,” said Jeffrey Glassberg, head of the North American Butterfly Association, which supports the ban. “Individual monarchs sell for about $10 each. There have already been reports of individuals capturing monarchs at the California overwintering sites to sell to the public.” The declining monarch is particularly at stake, environmentalists warn. The number of monarchs making their way to their yearly winter refuge in Mexico dropped 59 percent this year, marking the third consecutive year of the species’ decline. More....

Source: News-leader.comBy Steve PokinThe relationship of animals to humans as portrayed in French literature. The ethical aspects of a man’s request that his beloved dog be euthanized when he dies so they can be buried together. Ongoing controversies over puppy mills and circus elephants.It’s all covered in Drury University’s new 18-hour animal studies minor, one of the few programs like it in the nation, according to Professor Patricia McEachern.Since 2007, she has spearheaded efforts to create the minor and, in the process, went from a professor of French to the Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Professor of Animal Rights.Drury faculty OK’d the minor in November 2012. It was offered for the first time this fall.“I am proud of it and proud of my colleagues,” McEachern said. “I’m very grateful of the administrative support.”The program was made possible by two $1 million donations from Bob Barker, a 1949 Drury grad and an animal rights advocate. Barker hosted CBS’s “The Price is Right” from 1972 to 2007.The endowed chair is named after Barker’s wife, who died in 1981. Barker credits her for his interest in the welfare of animals. Dorothy Jo Barker was in the forefront in protesting the killing of animals for fur.McEachern shared her longtime interest in animal rights with Barker when he came to Drury in 2007 to give the commencement address. He also received an honorary degree. McEachern, like Barker, is a vegan, meaning they don’t eat animal products.Barker subsequently asked McEachern if there was something Drury could do “to improve the lives of animals.”If there was, McEachern recalled, Barker mentioned he had $1 million to contribute.“Being who I am, I said, ‘Yes, we can do that,’ ” McEachern said. “But when I hung up the phone I said, ‘How are we going to do that?’ ” More....

Source: Biologicaldiversity.orgPress ReleaseThe National Marine Fisheries Service has eight months to issue a new plan to protect thousands of whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions from ocean noise and other threats generated by U.S. Navy warfare training exercises in waters ranging from Northern California to Canada. The ruling by Magistrate Judge Nandor Vadas of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California today set a deadline of August 1, 2014, for the agency to ensure that the Navy’s training activities comply with the Endangered Species Act. Today’s decision stems from a September 2013 court ruling finding the Fisheries Service at fault for green-lighting Navy training based on incomplete and outdated science. “This ruling will require the National Marine Fisheries Service to issue a responsible new plan based on the most up-to-date, sound science for ocean noise,” said Rep. Mike Thompson, D-CA. “It is the right decision. The Navy should train in a way that respects local communities, natural resources and our environment.” “These training exercises harm Southern Resident killer whales, blue whales, humpback whales, dolphins, and porpoises — through the use of high-intensity mid-frequency sonar,” said Steve Mashuda, an Earthjustice attorney representing a coalition of Northern California tribes and environmental groups. “The Fisheries Service must now employ the best science and require the Navy to protect whales and dolphins in its ongoing training exercises.” The Navy uses a vast area of the West Coast, stretching from Northern California to the Canadian border, for training. Not one square inch of this area — the size of Montana — has been set aside for marine mammals or is off limits to high-intensity sonar. Activities occurring there include anti-submarine warfare exercises involving tracking aircraft and sonar; surface-to-air gunnery and missile exercises; air-to-surface bombing exercises; and extensive testing for several new weapons systems. Hawk Rosales — executive director of the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council — said, “Marine mammals will now stand a better chance of being protected from the Navy’s war testing and training off our coastline.” “It is outrageous that the agency tasked with protecting marine mammals allowed the Navy to harm them,” said Zak Smith, staff attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “The Fisheries Service shouldn’t rubber-stamp the Navy’s permits to test and train in biologically significant habitat. More must be asked of the Navy to take commonsense steps to prevent harm and injury to these animals.” More....